We regret to announce that recently, Rewilding Europe had to decide to withdraw from the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area. The main reason is that, despite several years of trying, we have found that at the moment there is no enabling environment for a major rewilding initiative in the region.
The four European bison that were released into the wild in the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area in December 2014 are now free roaming in Poland and Slovakia. Tracking of these animals, carried out by the Carpathian Wildlife Research Station and our local team, again proves the importance of the transboundary movements for wildlife in the Bieszczady Mountains.
Today, two European bison cows as part of a group of four, were released into the wild in the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area. The gate of the enclosure was lifted by Professor Kajetan Perzanowski, Chief of the Carpathian Wildlife Research Station, Dorota Magusia, Vice Head Forester of Komańcza Forest District from State Forest Department, Professor Wanda Olech, Coordinator and President of the European Bison Conservation Center and Chairman of European Bison Friends Society, and Katarzyna Wasiak, Team leader of Eastern Carpathians rewilding area at a special release ceremony.
Three females of European bison, coming from Eriksberg Wildlife Park in Sweden, were today brought to the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area, to augment the existing population of some 270 animals with new genes. This is the first joint activity after signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Bison Conservation Center and Rewilding Europe on 15 September this year.
Our rewilding efforts have now been officially re-started in the Eastern Carpathians, after a new ambitious and enthusiastic local team has been gathered and a very important cooperation agreement was signed with the Bieszczady National Park. This means that work has now begun in the Polish parts of this huge, cross-border Biosphere Reserve, with lots of opportunities also into Slovakia and Ukraine.
A regional wolf hunting ban was recently decided in eastern Slovakia, covering one of the rewilding areas: the Poloniny National Park and the Eastern Carpathians Landscape Park, also called the “Wolf Mountains”. This is the first positive step in the restoration and protection of the wolf population in the Carpathians.
The stunning documentary “The Wolf Mountains – Where Nature Is Getting a Second Chance” about the Eastern Carpathians rewilding site, is enjoying huge interest: more than 700 people attended its Slovakian premiere and the discussion until midnight with the authors in the town of Trencin.
“The Wolf Mountains – Where Nature Is Getting A Second Chance” is the title of a stunning documentary film about the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area that will be launched in theatres across Slovakia in September this year. The documentary, which shows one of Europe’s top wildlife areas, will also be presented to a worldwide audience at the 10th World Wilderness Congress, WILD10 in Salamanca, Spain, in October 2013.
As rewilding is gaining momentum, it is interesting to see how people feel towards it. Wolf NGO, our partner in the Eastern Carpathians rewilding area, have conducted two polls in cooperation with the FOCUS agency, to find out people’s attitudes towards creating large wilderness areas.
Geocaching is one of the fastest growing outdoor pursuits in the world. All ages and abilities can play it and you even find hidden treasures. In the Eastern Carpathians one of those hidden treasures is the wild nature. The development of this trail was funded by Rewilding Europe.